Congresswoman Hirono's Major Accomplishments

Key Positions:

• House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure: Sought and was appointed to this major committee, which authorizes highway and transit, harbor, aviation, and wastewater infrastructure funding. Serves on three subcommittees, including the subcommittee that will be writing the next 5-year multi-billion dollar highways and transit reauthorization bill in 2009.
• House Committee on Education and Labor: Has already established leadership role on early childhood education. Hirono's Providing Resources Early for Kids (PRE-K) Act has been passed by the committee-one of only 25 bills reported out of committee of the 853 bills referred to the committee to date in the 110^th Congress.
• Majority Leader's Advisory Group: Invited to participate in small group that advises Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on a variety of issues.
• Whip At Large
• House Democracy Assistance Commission: Appointed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi to serve on the 20-member Congressional Commission that works to strengthen democratic legislative institutions in select emerging democracies.
• Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus: Serves on the Executive Board of the Caucus.

Appropriations Success:

• 64 projects requested by Hirono were funded in FY2008, totaling more than $133 million
• Ranked 4^th among all Democratic freshmen representatives for success in securing funding for her district.
• Ranked in top 10 percent (43^rd among all 440 members of the U.S. House) for success in securing funding in first year in Congress.
• Ranked 10^th among all House members (top 2 percent) for success in securing agricultural appropriations
• Examples of projects funded include:
  • $2 million for environmental clean up of the pier dump site at Bellows Air Force Base
  • $3.9 million to expand the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on Oahu's North Shore
  • $15 million for the Honolulu High Capacity Transit Corridor Project
  • $4 million for Kawainui Marsh Ecosystem Restoration
  • $344,000 to purchase a bus for the Big Island's free bus transit system
  • $410,000 for continued construction of the Upcountry Maui Watershed (irrigation) Project improvements to the Lower Hamakua Ditch (irrigation) Watershed Project

Legislative Success:

• Introduced 16 bills, resolutions, and amendments
• Hirono's bill H.R. 3966, the Early Education Workforce Act, was included in the Higher Education Reauthorization Act (H.R. 4137, the College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2008, that became Public Law 110-315 on August 14, 2008. The program authorizes grants for states to establish task forces focused on improving the early education work force.
• Portions of Hirono's bill H.R. 2655, the Early Educator Loan Forgiveness Act, were included in the College Cost Reduction Act and the Higher Education Reauthorization Act, both of which are now law.
• Secured passage in the full House of one bill, three resolutions, and two floor amendments
  • H.R. 3332, the Kalaupapa Memorial Act, which authorizes the establishment of a memorial to the approximately 8,000 people who were forcibly relocated to Kalaupapa because they had Hansen's Disease. Expect that this bill will become law before the end of the 110^th Congress
  • H.Con.Res. 264, Honoring the University of Hawaii on its Centennia
  • H.Res. 406, Celebrating the 35^th Anniversary of Title IX
  • H.Res. 1153, Celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Mont
  • Amendment to ensure quality training and technical assistance services for education of our youngest children in H.R. 1429, the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act
  • Amendment allowing for development of integrated water resource plans in H.R. 720, the Water Quality Financing Act
• Secured passage in the Education and Labor Committee of the Providing Resources Early for Kids (PRE-K) Act (H.R. 3289), which establishes a new grant program for states to enhance or improve their state-funded preschool programs
• Defended the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act (Akaka Bill, H.R. 505) and the Hawaiian Home Ownership Opportunity Act (H.R. 835) on the House floor from attack. Both bills passed the House.
• Authored and supported provisions benefiting Hawaii to the 2008 Farm Bill, including
  • Making Hawaii eligible for the Agriculture Management Assistance Program, which provides up to 75% cost share assistance to farmers and ranchers for practices that improve water conservation and use, including installation of crop irrigation and livestock watering systems. Only 15 states receive this assistance.
  • Authorizing a Pacific Sun Grant Subcenter at the University of Hawaii to assist in development of renewable agriculture.
  • Authorizing grants for geographically disadvantaged farmers in Hawaii, Alaska, and the Pacific.
  • Adding macadamia nuts to the list of commodities subject to country-of-origin labeling requirements.
  • Increasing funding for specialty crop research
• Other legislation introduced
  • H.R. 1287, Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act. This bill, which has 21 cosponsors, amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt sons and daughters of Filipino World War II veterans who were naturalized under the Immigration Act of 1990 from worldwide or numerical limitations on immigrant visas.
  • H.R. 1798, Ka'u Coast Preservation Act. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating portions of the Ka'u Coast as a unit of the National Park Service.
  • H.R. 2155, to provide for the conversion of a temporary judgeship for the district of Hawaii to a permanent judgeship.
  • H.R. 2618, North Maui Coast Preservation Act. The bill authorizes a study on the feasibility of designating portions of the North Maui Coast as a national seashore or national park.
  • H.R. 4540, Fair Funding for Schools Act. The bill authorizes Impact Aid and will be the basis for the impact aid section of the No Child Left Behind bill when it is reauthorized.
  • H.R. 5877, Shingles Prevention Act. The bill amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of the shingles vaccine and its administration.
  • H.R. 5999, to authorize appropriations for the National Tropical Botanical Garden.